Ignition timer



E. F. BESSEY IGNITION TIMER April 1 ,"1924. 1,488,971

Filed July 17, 1920 Patented Apr. 1, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD F. BESSEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HOWE AUTO PRODUCTSCOM- PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

IGNITION TIMER.

Application filed July 17, 1920. Serial No. 396,915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. BEssEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and use ful Improvements in Ignition Timers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ignition timers or circuit closers of the typeemployed for periodically closing a circuit, as, for instance, theignition circuit of an internal combustion engine, and has for itsobject to provide such a device that will be efficient and durable inuse, particularly in the mat ter of maintaining contact of lowresistance to passage of the current, and which will be of simple andcheap construction.

The novel features of the invention reside primarily in the constructionof the means whereby traveling contact is maintained with the annularseries of circuit terminals, such contact being in the form of a slidingshoe mounted upon the outer end of a sweep or radius arm, with suchfreedom of movement as will adapt it to conform to the surface of theannulus over which it travels and against which it is constantly pressedby a suitable spring. The shoe in itspreferred embodiment, while havinga freely rocking support on the arm, is fixed against relative rotationthereon in a manner to maintain alinement of the shoe with the annulus,and has an upturned end or ends that permit the shoe to ride smoothlyalong the track provided by the annulus.

The invention will be more fully understood upon reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an axial section; andFigure 2 an inner side elevation, partly in section, of a timerembodying the several features of the present invention.

Figures 3, 4, and 5 represent the contact device; Figure 3 being aperspective view of the sweep or carrier for the sliding shoe; Figure 4the blank from which the same is made; and Figure 5 a perspective viewof the slide shoe; and

Figures 6 and 7 represent the shell adjusting arm; Figure 6 being aperspective view of the complete arm; and Figure 7 a view of the blankfrom which it is made.

1 represents the timer shaft; 2 a fixed structure having an annularcentering bead 2; and S the timer shell which is seated within the bead2 in order to hold the shell accurately in alineinent with the axis ofrotation of the timer. The centering portion 3* of the timer shell iscylindrical to afford proper housing space for the terminals and contactdevice, and is connected through radial wall 8 with the outer portion ofthe shell which is in the form of a dome 3 that gives axial offset tothe resilient retaining arm and centers its holding pressure withrelation to the cylindrical portion.

4: represents a resilient retaining arm usually employed in holding theshell of the timer in position, said arm in the present in stance havingat its free end a centering bead 4 that seats in the depression 3 in theapex of the dome, and thereby retains the arm in bearing against theshell 3 in holding the shell in position. 5 is the adjusting armattached to the radial wall 3 through which the angular position of theterminals of the circuit closer are adjusted relatively to the cycle ofthe contact device in determining the time of ignition relative to theposition of the engine pistons. Arm 5 is preferably formed from thestamped blank 5 (F igure 7) bent into the form of Figure 6 to providethe bearing loop 5* to receive the connecting rod, and the ears 5? bywhich the arm is attached.

Projecting inwardly from the cylindrical wall of the shell 3 is anannulus 6, made up of a body of insulating material with inset terminalplates 6 of conducting material which are in electrical connection withbinding posts 7, as shown in the sectional portion of Figure 2.

The post 7 is rigidly united to its terminal plate 6*, besides fittingsnugly in the fiber annulus 6, and this accurately centers the post 7 inthe enlarged opening 7 so as to maintain air space between the post andthe shell. Fiber washer 7 and binding nuts 7 complete: the organizationof this part of the structure.

8 represents the contact device which is constructed with a sleeve 8,through which it is mounted upon the shaft 1, and a sweep or arm 8projecting radially therefrom, this device being preferably constructedfrom a blank stamped from sheet metal, as suggested in Figure 4;, withthe arm 8 projecting from the inner edge of one of two complemcntaryreduced portions S 8 which extend in opposite circmnferential directionsfrom the resp ctive sides of a wide intcrn'iediate portion, so that thelapping f the reduced portions will complete the cylinder of the sleeve,and the arm, when deflected at right angles to the plane of the blank,will occupy a position radial to the sleeve at a point intermediate ofits ends. The contact device thus completed is socured in position uponthe shaft by the diametrical locking pin 9.

Upon the arm 8 is mounted a contact shoe having upturned ends to providea sliding runner that will freely traverse the surface of the annulus 6.The slide shoe 10 is struck up from a plate of metal and centrallyprovided with an elongated or angular perforation 1bthrough which itreceives, with freedom of movement, the end of the arm 8". Bysubstantially conforming the perforation to the section of the arm, theshoe is held in alinement with the annulus upon which it travels. Theshoe is further provided with a depression 1O to accommodate the washeror upset head by which it is confined on the arm. Spring 11, surroundingarm 8 and abut-ting at one end against the sleeve 8 and at its other endagainst the depressed portion 10 of the shoe. constantly presses theslide shoe against the annulus 6. The shoe covers a length of aresufficient to prevent tripping I claim:

1. In a timer, an annulus carrying terurinals, and a contact devicecooperating with said annulus and comprising an arm and a slide shoemounted to rock freely on said arm and bearing against said annulus;said slide shoe being curved to develop two contact areas spaced apartin the direction of the circumference of the annulus and with adepression between said areas; and said shoe being perforated in saiddepression and receiving the arm in its perforation.

2. In a rotary contact device for electric circuit timers, an armmounted to travel about a axis of revolution. a slide shoe mountedtransversely upon the end of said arm with limited movementlongitudinally of the arm, and a spring carried by said arm pushing saidslide shoe radially outward thereon; said shoe being constructed with anintermediate depressed portion through which it is received by the armand upturned end portions spaced apart by said depressed portion.

3. In a rotary contact device for electric circuit timers. a slide shoeand means for supporting said slide shoe in a path of revolution; saidmeans comprising a radial arm upon which the slide shoe is mounted, anda hub integral with said arm for mounting the arm upon a shaft; said hubbeing in the form of a sleeve constructed with a wide portion and twocomplementary narrow portions extending circumferentially in oppositedirections from said wide portion, and overlapping to complete thesleeve: and said arm being deflected from the inner edge of one of saidreduced portions and thereby positioned intermediate of the ends in thefinished blank.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 1-lth day of July, 1920.

EDXVARD F. BESSEY.

